Woodfield strikers vote unanimously for a legal challenge to academy bosses

 

Woodfield school strikers early morning picket in Autumn sunshine today

Woodfield Special school strikers, victims of the imposition of  fire and rehire by their academy bosses, showed they were not finished in their battle today by voting unanimously for a change of strategy.

They will strike for the last time for now on October 1st, the last strike day notified to the management, and take up a legal challenge supported by the National Education Union. This will be based on a claim that the academy management broke the collective bargaining agreement, not in imposing fire and rehire itself, but the way they did it individually rather than through collective bargaining. Each worker will be submitting an ACAS Early Conciliation form.

 

Lucy Cox, Brent NEU Secretary, said that in this way they could return to work proud and united.  She congratulated the strikers on their persistence and solidarity and told them that their struggle provided an example to others that  meant that no other school had dared impose fire and rehire - a strategy that will soon be illegal.

Meanwhile I understand that the HMRC is showing a keen interest in the school's finances. 

Brent Greens Raise Deep Concerns Over Independence of Board Appointment to £20m St Raphael’s "Pride in Place" project

 

 

Community celebration on St Raph's

 

Brent Green Party councillors have expressed serious concern regarding the appointment of the Independent Chair to the St Raphael’s Estate Neighbourhood Board, following growing public disquiet and formal governance inquiries over the recruitment process.

 

The £20 million government-backed "Pride in Place" initiative is intended to deliver long-term, community-led investment to support St Raphael’s Estate. However, the recent announcement of Priyesh Patel as the board’s "Independent Chair" has sparked concern from local residents, grassroots community advocates, and commentators.

 

Brent Green councillors share the concerns raised by the local community regarding whether this crucial appointment can genuinely be considered independent. Public records indicate that Mr Patel was employed directly within the Council Leader’s office until August 2025 and has actively engaged in political campaigning alongside Brent Labour candidates. Furthermore, community advocates have raised serious questions over reports that an advertised resident stakeholder interview panel was omitted from the final selection process.

 

The Leader of the Green Group Cllr Mary Mitchell said:

 

We share the deep concerns voiced by local residents and community advocates. Appointing someone who was employed directly in the Council Leader’s political office only twelve months ago and who has been actively on the campaign trail with Brent Labour severely undermines public trust in what is designated as an 'independent' role.

 

I am calling for full transparency about the appointment, the selection process and the safeguards in place to ensure that the role is genuinely independent, including through a conflict of interest and independence review.

 

A non-partisan community role must be open to scrutiny and must command confidence across the political spectrum, and, most importantly among local residents. Residents deserve concrete commitments to guarantee that St Raphael’s residents, and grassroots organisations are independently represented in choices about how the £20m fund is spent.

 

Ipsos Poll: 10 years on from the Brexit vote, a majority of Britons would vote to apply to rejoin the EU

Flashback to Wembley Matters June 25th 2016

From Ipso Mori UK Ltd   10 years on from the Brexit vote, a majority of Britons would vote to apply to rejoin the EU  New polling by Ipsos given exclusively to Bloomberg News reveals that 58% of likely voters in a hypothetical future referendum would back rejoining the bloc, with almost half (49%) of the public supporting a new referendum after the next General Election London, UK The full findings on the survey of Britons will be discussed by an expert panel hosted at King’s College of London on Monday 15th of June. Registration details for the event can be found here. The panel will discuss a range of topics, including changing public views on whether it was right to hold the 2016 referendum, the trade-offs at stake in future UK-EU relations, and whether closer links with the bloc would be a vote winner or vote loser for the Labour government – all of which is analysed in additional forthcoming research by Ipsos, the Policy Institute at King’s College London, and UK in a Changing Europe. Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, new polling provided exclusively to Bloomberg News by Ipsos reveals a significant shift in public sentiment 10 years on. Key findings include: Majority support for rejoining: Among all Britons, 52% think the UK should apply to join the European Union, while exactly a third (33%) think the UK should stay out. The remainder say they don’t know or would not vote in a future referendum. Among likely voters in a future referendum, 58% would vote to rejoin and 37% would vote to stay out. This amounts to a 61% / 39% split once don’t knows are removed. Q. If a new referendum was held on whether the UK should apply to join the European Union or to stay out of the European Union, how would you vote?   All Britons Likely voters Likely voters (don’t knows excluded)  The UK should apply to rejoin the EU 52% 58% 61% The UK should stay out of the EU 33% 37% 39% Don’t know 9% 4% - Would not vote 4% - - Prefer not to day 1% - - Further analysis among all Britons: Overwhelming backing from Labour voters: Support for rejoining is particularly concentrated among current Labour voters, with 84% stating that Britain should apply to join the EU. But rejoining remains a divisive issue: Whereas 68% of those aged 18-34 and 58% of those aged 35-54 back rejoining, 50% of those aged 55+ want to stay out (37% of that group want to rejoin).  Similarly, whilst 84% of Labour voters, 80% of Lib Dems and 86% of Greens would vote to rejoin, 56% of Conservative voters and 7 in 10 Reform voters (71%) would vote to stay out. Appetite for a new referendum: Almost half of Britons support holding a referendum on whether or not the UK should join the European Union. 48% support a referendum taking place before the next General Election (compared to 29% who oppose it), while 49% support a referendum taking place after the next General Election (compared to 26% who oppose it). Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics at Ipsos, said: “As we approach the ten-year milestone of the Brexit vote, this exclusive data shows a clear shift in the public mood which will be unpacked at our event on June 15th. “A majority of the British public, indicate that if asked, the UK should apply to rejoin the European Union. This includes a clear majority of Labour voters. “With almost half of Britons open to another referendum, it is clear that the debate over our relationship with Europe is far from settled in the minds of the electorate. “With that said, we should be aware that a future referendum might play out differently in practice. Immigration remains a key issue for the British public, one which would likely feature in any campaign. And as our upcoming research will show, when the public are presented with various trade offs involved concerning the UK-EU relationship, a more complex picture emerges"   Technical Note: Ipsos interviewed a representative probability sample of 1,137 British adults aged 18+, via the Ipsos UK Knowledge Panel as part of our regular Ipsos Political Monitor series. Data was collected between the 14th – 20th May 2026 Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error. This research was conducted in partnership with King's College London and UK in a Changing Europe.

RENT RISES, DISREPAIR, UNCLEAR ENERGY BILLS? Calling Wembley Park renters for a meeting tomorrow 7pm Chalkhill Centre with London Renters Union.

Wembley Park ward was excluded from the Brent Landlord Licensing scheme as if bad landlords did not exist there. The story on the ground is quite different:

 

This Thursday 7pm, join renters from across Wembley Park at an open meeting to discuss housing issues in the blocks. Open to all renters, whether private, social or temporary.

Hosted by the London Renters Union at Chalkhill Community Centre, HA9 9FX.

This meeting is an open space to discuss problems you and your neighbours face. There will be a short presentation of the work of the London Renters Union, which supports blocks across the city to organise themselves when faced with negligent landlords who ignore complaints. We work on the principle that far more can be achieved by working together than alone. 

LRU supports renters who are concerned about their housing and want to get organised - if that's you please come by! We've won much more security for private renters through the Renters Rights Act from May 1st - now is the time to get organised.

 Fill out the short survey here and drop by on Thursday: 

https://londonrentersunion.org/2026/wembley-park-housing-survey/

Cllr. Jumbo Chan: The NPCification of the Labour Party

The following article was published by Cllr. Jumbo Chan (Harlesden and Kensal Green ward and outgoing chair of Brent Audit and Standards Committee) on the Labour Hub website. As this article will be of interest to Brent readers I received permission from Labour Hub to republish. The original article can be found HERE.

Labour Councillor Jumbo Chan, blocked by the Labour Party apparatus from being on the ballot today, explains what has gone wrong with his Party.

 

Amidst the heavy damage done to Labour by the now-departed, disgraced Peter Mandelson, perhaps one of the most consequential, yet underdiscussed blowbacks of the hyper-factionalism driven by him, his protégé Morgan McSweeney and other key allies surrounding Starmer is the potential of what I would term the NPCification of Labour.

 

Originally a video game term, non-player characters (NPCs) are AI entities that operate via pre-programmed scripts to give some semblance of life to the virtual worlds which they populate. It is now entering into everyday speech as a colloquialism to describe people who seemingly lack independence and assertiveness, wandering around robotically, repeating fixed, predictable lines. Before sketching a brief picture of the NPC politician and the risk they would pose to Labour, it is important to first discuss how they may end up dominating the party.

 

Along with the targeting of Sam Tarry, Faiza Shaheen and many other perceived enemies before the 2024 general election, perhaps the most prominent example of the intense factionalism underscoring the present leadership was the blocking of Andy Burnham. Shielded by less public limelight, the clique orbiting Starmer has also purged swathes of local Labour representatives, including in upcoming battlegrounds such as Hackney, Lambeth and Brent. In the latter, all candidates were centrally handpicked.

 

A decade-long Labour councillor, I was also blocked for supposedly “contradict[ing] agreed Labour positions” by co-authoring a pro-trade union open letter, and coordinating hundreds of Labour colleagues to urge an equivocating Starmer to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. I will never retract my public support for trade unions and innocent children, but the intense factionalism goes far beyond the immediacy of any purges. By stabbing at Labour’s historically rich pluralism, Starmer’s allies have, as the party stares into the abyss, damaged its best chance to course correct.

 

With the constant threat of alleged secret spreadsheets, voting rigging, private surveillance and the punishment of dissent looming over Labour members, potential candidates, councillors and MPs, the Party’s famous broad church is a shadow of its former self. If this intimidatory culture, where silence and compliance are the name of the game, were to become ingrained in the party’s DNA, there is a profound danger of Labour transmuting into an institution dominated by what I would call the NPC politician.

 

Docile and vacuous, the NPC politician would lack the political depth which an otherwise open political culture would select for. Indeed, they would be able to get ahead precisely because of their political emptiness. And unlike either Tony Benn’s principled signposts or even the more opportunistic weathercocks, they would not see their role as remaking the country, let alone, shaping history. Instead, politics for the NPC politician would simply be another choice of career in which they are just trying to get by or climb up, executing instructions as scripted by the top.

 

Because of their inability to offer their own political vision to the public, personality politics would be the default terrain for the NPC politician: “I am the son of a takeaway owner and an immigrant cleaner; I was born here and I love food; and I am a nice guy who organises litter picks” not only serves to hide a dearth of politics, but also functions as the most substantive marker to differentiate one NPC politician from another. An NPCified Labour would not so much regress to political monoculturalism as to political sterility.

 

All this lies in stark contrast to outspoken outsiders such as Green victor in the Gorton and Denton by-election Hannah Spencer (whose victory speech could have been delivered by a Labour socialist) and, further afield, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. Their fresh, bold socialist perspectives have clearly resonated with the public. But under the present leadership — whose clique would reportedly “rather burn Downing Street down” than give an inch to perceived opponents — these avowedly non-NPC politicians would have likely been blocked from even offering their views to Labour members.

 

The NPC traits of silence and compliance fostered by the current climate of fear might explain why, despite Britain’s dislike of a prime minister who is seen “as a cross between a jellyfish and doormat”, and with Labour facing great peril as forewarned by Burnham, the Party seems unable to do anything except to plough on as before. Therefore, a Britain being rocked by multiple crises and hungry for an radical change to society will only continue to look elsewhere for its politics.

 

The Labour Party was founded as the political wing of the labour movement, and cannot fulfil this historic role and, thus, regain public confidence, until ideas and people are allowed to flourish in the party. This must necessitate a restoration of Labour’s pluralistic, democratic tradition, best typified by Restore Labour Democracy and Reset Labour. After all, Labour’s founders foresaw over a century ago that the then-new Party would only succeed if it reflected the broadest traditions of British socialism and the working class. If Labour cannot expunge the poisonous hyper-factionalism and restore its historic broad church, it is unlikely that history will grant it another century.

 

Jumbo Chan is a Labour Councillor in the London Borough of Brent.

 

Published and promoted by James Paton on behalf of Brent Green Party c/o 23 Saltcroft Close, Wembley, HA9 9JJ. 

The 'other' Matt Kelcher

 

 

We know Matt Kelcher as the three-term councillor for Harlesden and Kensal Green, and latterly as the chair of Brent Planning Committee, with his introductory homily on the importance of meeting the borough’s house building target and the current housing emergency.

 

He has another life, in the small print of the Council’s Register of Interests but not declared this at Planning Committee meetings. Kelcher is the Director of Public Affairs at TheCityUK, described by Reuters as ‘Britain’s most powerful financial lobby group’. His work, as a member of Chartered Institute of Public Relations, is to advocate for members of TheCityUK.

 

Matt Kelcher is also a Brent councillor on the multi-million Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation where his connection with TheCityUK is also declared LINK.

 

Where does this overlap with his councillor role?

 

A clue lies in one of his more recent articles for TheCityUK blog. ‘Reforming the UK’s planning system: a path to growth’.  Locals who have spoken against planning applications at Planning Committee may have picked up a polite lack of sympathy for their presentations and the extracts from his article below makes clear that he sees the need for a more robust assumption of assent for applications:

 

A lack of consistency between (and within) local planning authorities is creating uncertainty and unpredictability in decision-making. One way to maximize the value added by England's new metro mayor model would be to explore allowing mayors to designate zones with a much greater presumption of planning approval. The UK's current planning regime of application and appeal is an international outlier, and its delivery has presented challenges to the building of homes and infrastructure.

 

To make the UK more attractive to investors and facilitate investment decisions, the planning process needs to prioritize efficiency and timely decisions. One mechanism to achieve this would be to streamline the statutory consultation process, with a greater assumption of assent from consultees who do not reply to local authorities within deadlines.

 

Cllr Kelcher is an ally of the former Shama Tatler (now Baroness Shah of Wembley) and active within the Labour Party in the drive for accelerating house building, which in Brent has resulted in unaffordable luxury high rise towers.  He is a member of her Labour YIMBY group (Yes in My Backyard). The group was set up to oppose those who raise concerns about over-development, density, and lack of affordability in new developments – stereotyped as NIMBYs (Not in My Backyard). They rely on a ‘market model’ belief that increased supply will result in reductions in house prices and rents – not something we have seen in Brent where according to the London Renters Union rents have increased by 27% over the last 3 years despite all the new units built.

 

 

‘Proudly YIMBY Proudly Labour’

 

 

Tribune magazine in an August 2025 article LINK wrote:

 

 

One of the core principles of YIMBYism is ensuring easier access to property ownership and wealth accumulation. Yet, bizarrely, advocates refer to themselves as ‘housing activists’ and think of themselves as ‘campaigners’ embedded in a ‘pro-housing’ movement. They might choose to adopt the language of those on the front line of the housing emergency. But in reality, their natural habitat is the boardroom — and buffet lunches with developers.

 

 

Tongue in cheek they suggest that alongside NIMBY and YIMBY, there should be PHIMBY – Public Housing in My Backyard.

 

 

If a Brent planning application had been made by any of his TheCityUK employer’s clients, Kelcher would have had to declare his interest. ‘Pre-determination’ is a slippery term in planning circles and refers to a member of a planning committee having made up their mind in advance of hearing an application. I have no evidence that this applies to Matt Kelcher’s many specific decisions at Planning Committee, but his pre-disposition to approve applications in more general terms is, perhaps, clear.

 

Matt Kelcher’s record:  Source Open Council Network

 

 

Published and promoted by Jmes Paton on behalf of  Brent Green Party c/o 23 Saltcroft Close, Wembley, HA9 JJ 

 

 

NEU ballot for action over Princess Frederica CofE School over working conditions and health & safety concern

 

Princess Frederica C of E Primary School in Kensal Rise 

Brent National Education Union is seeking an indicative ballot to take action at the Princess Frederica C of E Primary School in Kensal Rise. Princess Frederica is in a federation with St Clement and St James and St Thomas schools under the LifeFull Schools Federation umbrella.

Educators at the school describe it as like working for a Multi-Academy Trust with some of the same issues.

The proposed ballot is over pay, workload and conditions for teachers and support staff.  In addition, there is a health and safety concern over a water tank that serves the upper floors of the school, is described as in poor condition. I understand staff and children had been told not to drink the water from that supply but when concerns were raised were told to go ahead and drink it.  There is always the potential, however remote, according to NEU health and safety officers, of legionella infection in such circumstances and urgent action is sought.

Responding to Wembley Matters request for a comment Sarah Bouette, executive headteacher for Princess Frederica School said;

 We are proud of all that we achieve as a school and a wider community.

 Sadly, however, we think there has been some misunderstanding about the water supply in the school. We want to be clear, our water supply is safe to drink. We have written to the NEU about this and offered a range of assurances that our water is safe for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene.

We also recognise that our school, as strong as it is, is not immune from the same funding pressures as many other schools in the country. Schools are being asked to do more, and we will always do what we can to use the resources that we have to best serve our brilliant children and wider community.

 

LETTER: Why I withdrew my nomination to stand as a Reform candidate.: Brent Reform are ineffective, disorganised and have no understanding of what residents want

 Dear Editor,

 

As you may have seen I have decided to stand as an independent candidate in Wembley Hill.

As residents know I originally stood as a Reform UK candidate. Unfortunately my experience prior to the close of nominations set a clear example. Reform in Brent can not deliver for local residents.

Immediately before the protected period started I became aware of a pattern of behaviour which would have jeopardised the opportunity to represent local residents. Despite contact from a number of figures, this behaviour continued. The leadership of local Reform struggled to respond to this.

Indeed the Brent Reform leadership were ineffective, disorganised, and completely lacked any understanding of what residents want.

You see this in their campaign. The leaflets focus solely on national issues. I tried to ask for local ones, but they were never allowed. But then again, if 52 of the 57 candidates have no intention of trying, then why would they care about local issues?

Simply put, I did not believe it was possible to represent both Reform and my residents. That is why I withdrew the Reform nomination, and will now be standing proudly as an independent to represent the ward I have spent my life in.

 

Andi Porri 

Breaking: Labour loses another Brent councillor - this time to Your Party

 

Cllr Ihtesham Afzal speaking at a Brent Council meeting 

Clr Ihtesham Afzal, a Wembley Hill ward councillor has written to the Brent CEO and the Labour Group to inform them that he has resigned from the Labour Group with immediate effect and joined Your Party. Cllr Afzal was not standing for Labour in Brent  in the May 7th local election.

The councillor was in the forefront of the campaign to link Brent with Nablus in the West Bank and his criticism of the Labour Government's policy on Palestine is well known.

In a message to the Labour Group the sender says s/he takes no pleasure in sharing the news and remarks how deeply disappointing it is to lose a colleague.

The party switch comes after the defection of five Labour councillors to the Green Party. All are now standing under the Green banner in May and are busy campaiging.

The sender tells the Group that they must persuade the electorate that they should continue to believe in Brent under a strong, stable and ambitious Labour leadership and not be diverted from their campaign.

Brent Your Party commented:

Brent Your Party welcomes Councillor Afzal as a member. Under Labour Brent is officially the worst housing authority in Britain with a complete disregard to local housing need.

The fact that good former Labour councillors have been excluded from Labour for standing up for Palestine is a disgrace. Neither the racists of Reform and the Tories have any solution to the failure of Brent Labour.

Your Party will always stand  with the Palestinian people and oppose Labour cuts. 

May 7th 2026 Local Election: ACE Climate and Nature Hustings Tuesday 14th April - In-person and On-lne

 

 🔈You are invited to ACE Brent's Action on the Climate Emergency Hustings ✅

 

🗓️ Tuesday 14 April - 7-9pm at Barham Community Library

 

Meet and question the candidates as they present their plans to tackle the climate emergency. 

 

Please register to attend this event:

 

🖥️ Online: https://bit.ly/hustonl

 

👥 In person: https://bit.ly/hustper

 

 ✉️ACE@brentfoe.com

If you know of a hustings coming up and would like to advertise it email: wembleymatters@virginmedia.com

'Strong & inspiring' Woodfield School strikers vote unanimously for further strike action after 'paltry' offer

 What do you do on a wintery picket line? Dance - naturally!

 

NEU members at Woodfield Special School in Kingsbury attended an online meeting in high numbers and voted unanimously to reject a 'paltry' offer from the Trust that runs the school.

Their strike is over wage cuts and the management offer was a pay cut of 2-1/2 hours instead pf 3-1/2.

There have already been 6 days of strike action and members  voted unaminously to continue with 3 days strike next week and another 3 days  when schools return after the winter break.

 NEU leaders described the NEU members as strong and the most inspiring ever.

Messages of solidarity are very much appreciated please send to jennifer.cooper@neu.org.uk and lucy.cox@neu.org.uk 

Educators say No! sent a solidarity message to the strikers:

Solidarity Statement for Woodfield School Workers

We stand in full solidarity with the staff at Woodfield School, who provide essential care and education for children with special needs. These pupils rely on consistent, skilled adult support, yet the Trust is proposing cuts to some of the lowest-paid and most vital workers. Staff have raised serious concerns about financial transparency and reported irregularities in the budget, demonstrating real courage and a commitment to protecting their school community.

At the same time, an inflated CEO salary highlights misplaced priorities that undermine confidence in the Trust’s decisions. Workers are right to defend both their livelihoods and the quality of education their students deserve.

The picket lines at Woodfield have been vibrant, united, and determined, with members electing an additional rep and voting for further action. Their strength and solidarity reflect a deep commitment to their students.

We stand with Woodfield staff—your fight is just, and you are not alone.

 

Peter Murry, Brent Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer sent a solidarity message to the NEU strikers: 

Brent Green Party sends its support to National Education Union members at Woodfield Special School who have taken six days strike action and propose to take a further three days strike before the holiday, against the insufficient offer being made to them by the school's management trust. We call on the Trust to agree to the strikers'  reasonable and fair demands and  restore a full SEND education service to the communities that Woodfield school serves.

 

On benefits or minimum-wage in Brent? A paid research opportunity to understand how the government can improve people's living standards.

 

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) is hiring paid community researchers to understand how the government can improve people’s living standards in Brent. We are looking for people with recent experience of receiving benefits and/or working in minimum-wage jobs. All information will be anonymised and deleted after the project's end. If you have any questions, please email socialresearch@niesr.ac.uk or call us on 02039484481.

 

This is the link to sign up: https://forms.office.com/e/9EDtAx6Ebw.

Help the talented and inspiring Brent Mencap AllStars record their first album of original songs

 

 

From Brent Mencap

 

We are AllStars – a band of singers with learning disabilities and/or autism, turning our stories into music that speaks to everyone.

​

We’ve written 11 powerful original songs about love, friendship, fears, and dreams – the same hopes and feelings we all share. Now we’re ready to release our first album and bring it to life with a live performance! But to make this dream shine, we need your help. 

We already have £2,300, but we need £1,500 more to:

• Professionally mix and master our tracks

• Hire a rehearsal space

• Host our album launch with a live show

 

By supporting us, you’ll not only hear amazing music – you’ll also highlight how talented and capable people with learning disabilities are. Together, we can inspire other people with a Learning Disability across the UK to share their talents too.

​

Be part of the dream. Help us light up the stage.

And donate on our Just Giving page to make it real.

 

At Brent Civic Centre

Our Music Artists

 The Power of Music: Our Singing Groups

At Brent Mencap, music is more than just a pastime — it’s a powerful tool for connection, self-expression, and joy. We currently run two singing groups:

• One is open to anyone who simply loves to sing, whether you're a shower-singer or stage-ready star!

• The other is something truly special...it's Mencap AllStars!

​

Meet the Mencap AllStars

Our Mencap AllStars have been on an incredible musical journey. With guidance from Milly, a professional singer-songwriter, the group has been writing and composing their own original songs — songs that tell stories of life, personal experience, friendship, and shared human emotions. Their music is honest, heartfelt, and deeply moving. With the amazing support of our neighbours at BBMC Music Studio, the AllStars have been recording their tracks professionally. The next step? Turning their dream into reality!

​

The Vision: An Original Album

We are currently applying for Arts Council funding to support the production of a full 12-track album — featuring one original song from each group member.

But this project is about more than just the music:

• The group will design the album artwork in collaboration with our art group

• They plan to launch the album with a live band performance

• And they want to take the lead on promoting and sharing their music with the world

​

This is their voice. Their stories. Their creativity. And we can’t wait to help them bring it all to life! 

 

Stay tuned for more updates — and get ready to hear something truly extraordinary!​